Motor-driven valve mechanism.



No. 777,372 PATENTED DEO.13, 1904.

- E. G. HOWARD.

MOTOR DRIVEN VALVE MECHANISM.

. AE'FLIGATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1902. no MODEL. mums-43mm 1.

311 we 11 F06 affomwuo;

N0 MODEL,

PATBNTED DEC. 18, 19043..

E. G. HOWARD. MOTOR DRIVEN VALVE MECHANISM.

VAPPLIUATION FILED SEPT, 18, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z 314440111 hm; g w w PATBNTBD DEC. 13, 1904 MOTOR DRIVEN VALVE MECHANISM.

HOWARD.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.18, 1902.

3 SHBETS-3HEIJT ii.

NO MODEL.

Tummy? Similar figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Figsl and 2, a body is shown having a cap 11 mounted thereon, which in turn supports a yoke 12. The passage 13 through the body 10 is closed by a gate 1 1. The gate leis guided by'ribs orsplines15 15 in the usual manner. A spindle 16, screwthreaded atits lower terminal, extends through the center of the yoke 12 and cap 11, which is provided with a suitable stuffing-boX-and follower for said spindle, and the latter continues downward through the gate 14. The spindle is held against longitudinal movement by collars 17 and 18, fast thereon and below the yoke-head 19, respectively. The lower 'thrcaded terminal of the spindle may directly engage a'threaded opening or openings in the gate 14, or a lost-motion device may be introduced at this point, comprising a nut 20, through which said spindle passes and to which it is threaded. The nut 20 is situated in a recess 21 in the upper part of the gate, the height of said recess being greater than that of said nut in order to provide for a limited amount of independent movement on the part of the latter for the purposes presently v to be described.

Below the collar 18 is a slip-ring 22, held to the spindle '16 by means of a key 23, fixed in said spindle, and a pin 2 1, passing thnough said ring into an opening 25 in the spindle. Above the opening 25 is a similar opening 26, with which the pin 24 is adapted to register when the ring 22 is elevated, as shown in Fig. 3. Thus it will be seen that the ring 22 may be retained at either one of two elevations. A spring-catch 27 is pivoted at 28 to the ring, and its free end is adapted to be swung over the head of the pin 24 to press itinto either opening 25 or 26 or to be forced to one sideof said head for the purpose of releasing said pin and permitting it to be withdrawn from engagement with the spindle.

A gear 29 is loose on the spindle 16 below the slip-ring, being supported by the yokebracket 30. A clutch projection 31 extends upward from the top of the gear 29, and a clutch projection 32 depends from the bottom of-the ring 22 normally into the path of said projection 31; but when said ring'is elevated into the position shown in Fig. 3 the projections are out of possible engagement. An intermediate shaft 33 has its bearings in the bracket 30 and another yoke-bracket 34 below the first. A pinion 35, tight on the up per end of the shaft 33, meshes with the gear 29, and a gear 36 on said shaft above the bracket 34 meshes with a pinion 37, tight on the shaft 38 of a motor 39, which is securely bolted to the cap. 11. below the bracket 31', and the pinion 35 hold said shaft against longitudinal movement. A slip-ring 22*is ad justably attached to the shaft 33 by means of a key 23 and pin 24 in the A collar 40, tight on'the shaft 33 w begins to revolve.

same way that the ring 22 is attached to the spindle 16 and has a clutch projection 32 eX- tending into the path of a clutch projection 31 on the gear 36, which in this case is loose on said shaft.

In practice only one slip-ring would prob ably be used in one valve mechanism, the same being on either the spindle or intermediate shaft, but not on both, as shown for the sake of economy in illustration. It is obvious, moreover, that a nut or collar provided with a clutch projection and permanently attached to either the shaft 33 or spindle 16 may be substituted for one of the slip-rings, and such a nut or collar would be used in any event, if it were not desired to operatethe mechanism by hand at times or when the same could be so operated conveniently without disconnecting the motor. Furthermore, the gear 36 can be made fast to the shaft;33 and a lost-motion device at this point dispensed with,

A hand-wheel 41 is mounted on the top of the valve-spindle so as to revolve therewith in the usual manner.

The clutch projections 31 and 32 are represented as one-quarter segments each; but it will be understood that these dimensions may be varied so long as their united arcs do not form a complete circle, in which event no lost motion would be possible, of course-The.

' gear rotating freely to the right on the shaft 33 until the front end of the clutch projection 31 encounters the front end of the clutch projection 32 on the slip-ring 22, when said shaft The pinion 35 now revolving with the shaft 33 rotates the gear 29 'on the valve-spindle 16 freely to the left until the clutch projection31 on said'gear encounters the clutch projection 32 onthe slip-ring 22, when said spindle is rotated. It will now besecn that before motion is imparted to the spindle 16 the motor has gathered considerable momentum 'owin g to the lost-motion devices introduced into the mechanism, the momentum being cumulative, as it-were. effect of the rotation of the spindle is to raise the nut 20 from the bottom to the top of the recess 21, thus affording another opportunity for the motor to gather momentum. As soon as the nut 20 comes into contact with the top of the recess 21 the gate'l i' is raised and continues to travel upward until it arrives at the top of the cap 11, which prevents further movement in this direction and causes the motor to stop. The lost-motiondev'ice or de- 'The first IQ5 I rieee hetween the eninille anal motor ni orirlo tor eniheient momentum to iinloelr the epinrlle t'rorn the not 20, her it will he nntleretooclthat I Eilhltl; not w aa jammerl tight against the hottom oi the recess Ell hell-ore the spindle was re tateoh and the lost-motion oleriec between the ehindle anti gate allows the motor-Ito gather enlllicient momentum to overcome the reeiet I ahceolllerecl hyl rictional contact hetweentho gratev anal its seat. in manna eases the last mentienerl loatmotion (lei/ice is not reqanrert the other loet motion.rlericeer iilerieeaeio ahlingg the motor to the all oi the worlr withk, not it. The g ato is now open, anti the nnthtfl hincle hard on the eninclle "iloeloee the gate, rerereethe motor to ne eonntera the rear end oi the olatch projectionllieirt thehnt 2th har von the elip'ring alcove. inrg' heen etarterl from its loelring' engagement with the spindle, (lescencle on the rerolringa; aninrlle it until it strikes the bottom oi the receee hi ancl finally the gate ie lowerecl anrl werlgeel into piece at the bottom elf the liOCljV it); when the motor stone.

The hanttwheelll is neerlto opeh or close the gate when for any reason it ie not noeei hle or desirable to employ the motor and may aleo nerve in the capacity oi a balance-wheel it'orthe mechanism, such prorieionoiten be ing" cleeirahle in orcler to era/earn and regulate the action of the motor and .coactiinr parts; liar releasing either oi the'slin-ringe orfiit trom the spindle it or shaft 33, raining the ring, anrl inserting ite pin in the registering" opening 26 in the manner hereinhelore (le ecrihccl the motor is thrown out or clieeon nectcrt, since the clutch projection on eaicl ring); ie no longer in engaging relation with the pro jeetion on the ig'ear below, anti the eninrllecan he operated lay the hancl-wheeh which may now he tar-nod, freely until the loot motion at the gate encl oi the spindle is taken up when it is rotatecl in the usual manner and with the neaal result.

l t will he clearly seen by referring to the l'lrawings, particularly to lhig; 7 that the not til although tree to reciprocate in the recese provided for ita reception in the gate it, not peranittecl to'rotate thereim it 137 suit" ahle lllfitllt; may he employed to prevent tha net 20 from rotating with the epinrlle ill; but that shown whereby eaid nut is contiguous with oppeeite aides: of the gator-cocoa has been found to he simple and eilectire.

Although other than electric motors mar he employed with my inventiom the electric inotor is preferred anrl when uteri in net he ii. an

the art; hatit rill hereatlil; n

latool train the valve. lilach inenlatiori la eh tli" oi' rawhirle or other eaitahle inanlatin na teriah lll e in terraraliate ahait ElEl inter he ertnnrlerl ahorethe pinion anrl the hanrtwhee eirerl. Y

rte heitore intimaterh the eli rrin g'on the in termeriiate ehwlt or a loetmotlon elerice which rloee not inehiele' raeane tor atlinatina; the elutclrnroieetion rnemher loi tnrlinnllgj on eai'cl eh t can he neerl in eonheetion with a reciprocating ralre-eninrlla the onlnitle eerew eonetraetion'; llt hat hr necessary toillnetrate the let 1 rllc anti not aetaati no the or nation as th oleretootl that a loetrmotion rileriee on the in will enahle the motor to eat lllflilliifihlflifflllithlllfi the eninrlle h r momentnm through the metliam-el eonnectin g eeara to elcrate or tie iireeathe apinrlle anal "valve attacheol to'ita lower end, anrl a slip-ring; nseel in thin connee tion enahlee the operator toilieeonnect the en themati- 'iyninlie r r 4 a e e inemhere are well lrnown illl iinerl thereon inatearl-o'l on the ralreenintllaill tie:

m'erliata ehatt rmotol'anrl maninnlate the eninclleancl ralre with a hanrhwheel, train the other instance.

llhan g'ee in lrinrl anclarrararement ol the rreara more he matte, as well the rarione altcra tione other than thoee llereinhelorc oointeri out, withouttlenartine" from the oath re o'l my invention a 1 in other anaalicationa lilerl in my name to wit application @erial hlo ltlO lihtl, illerl ll/larch 3l.,-il0it and application ,hlerial .hlo. 107 xiii l li-leri llll ay l5, i90il--l have act torth and elairnecl in ite hroacler a'iepeete the general egg stein herein ranhoclielh the oreeent annlica' tion lacing conllneil to apeciiie i'eatnree reeiteri in the claima anrl notably the rotary n'orrrre ciorocatin g valve-atom.

l l hatll claira as my invention anrl cleeire to secure by Letter-e Il aten t, it.- 7

Ll. it Valve mechanism arlaoteil to he opened and closed inelenenelently either he hanrl or by power GOlDDl'lFElllg the coinhination ot' a valve, a motor, a gate mounted in the iralvehollm a rotating non-reelnroeating spindle arrangerl in the valve-hotly to'o gien or eloee the grate when the spinille is rotated a train at are: arranged hetwemi theniotor and the epinrlle whereby the eninrlie may he rotaterl when the motor is ooeratiah a loet-inotion (leriee an ranged in eairl train anll. normally in position to carrier: the eoirnlle to rotate when tlnjr'hiotor put in motion, a hanrhwheel and loelring (lGVlCBF-l wherelrr the hanthwheel ttlltl the t in rile may he reailily out into anrl thrown out oi. operative connection with. the waiter.

52. lo a ,ralve rnec ianieni arhtntetl to he on eraterl hoth h l anrl by power, the CODA-- hioation of a rlre caaihg, a t arranged it till ii) jection out therein, a non-reciprocating rotating spindle adapted to operate said gate, a hand-wheel or other equivalent means arranged to turn said spindle, a motor, a train of gearing be,

tween the motor and spindle whereby motion? may be communicated from the motor to the spindle and a lost-motion device in said train comprising a rotating driving part in operative connection with the motor, the drivingmembcr having an abutment to engage the driven member after the driving member'has made a part of a revolution, ,the whole being so arranged that when the motor is at rest the engaging abutments on the lost-motion members are separated from each other.

3. The combination with avalve-gate and a motor, of a spindle adapted to actuate said gate, driving mechanism between said spindle and motor, a lost-motion device in said mechanis m, a hand-wheel capable of serving as a balance-wheel or as a medium for operating the spindle, and means to so adjust said lostmotion device as to disconnect the motor and leave the spindle to the control of said handwheel.

4. The combination with a valve-gate and a motor, of ,a non-reciprocating rotary'spindle adapted to actuate said gate, a hand-wheel on 'saidspindle, a gear loose on the spindle and having a clutch projection, a slip-ring revolubly connected with the spindle and pro- Vided with a clutch projection extending into the path of the first-mentioned projection when the ring is in normal position, driving mechanism between said gear and motor, and

means to maintain said slip-ring with its proof the path of the gear projection to enable the spindle to be operated by said hand-wheel without affecting the other mech anism. i

5. The combination with a valve-gate and a motor, of a spindle adapted tojoperate said gate, an intermediate shaft, a gear'loose on said shaft and havinga clutch projection, a slip-ring revolublYcOnncted with said shaft,

. meansto maintain'said ring with its clutch projection out of the path of thegear 'proectiomdriving mechanism between said shaft than said recess,

and said motor and spindle, and ahand-wheel v connected with said spindle for operating the same when the ring projection is out of the path of the gear projection. I

16. The combination with a recessed valvegate and a motor, of a non reciprocating spindle, a train of gears between said spindle and motor adapted to rotate the former, one of the gears in said train being loose and having a clutch projection, arevoluble member provided with a clutch projection, extending into the path of the first-mentioned projection, and a non-rotary nut in the gate-recess, threaded to the spindle and of less height than said recess. v 7 The combination witha recessed valvegate and a motor, of a non reciprocating spindle, a train of gears between said spindle and motor adapted to rotate the former, one of the' gears in said train ing a clutc projection, provided with a clutch projection extending into the path of the first-mentioned projection, means to retain said member with its projection out of the path tion, and a non-rotary nut in the gate recess, threaded to the spindle and of less height than said recess. a

8. The combination with a recessed valvegate and, a motor, of a non-reciprocating spindle, a train of gears between saidspindle and motor adapted to rotate the former, one

ing a clutch projection, provided with a clutch projection extending into the path of the first-mentioned projection, means to retain said member with its projection out of the path of the gear projection, a non-rotary nut in the gate-recess, threaded to the spindle-and of less height .In testimony whereof I have signed my name tothis specification'in thepre'senceof two subscribing witnesses. r I

' j ERNEST G. HOWARD. Vitnesses: V

ALLEN WEBSTER,

of the gear projec i of the gears in said train being loose and havarevoluble member.

and a hand-wheel capable of {serving as a balance-wheel or as a medium for operating the spindle. V 

